Over a third of Brits open to having a vegan Christmas dinner
New data suggests more than one third of Britons are open to ditching the turkey in favour of a vegetarian or vegan Christmas dinner this year.
A report from the international online supermarket British Corner Shop has revealed that a growing number of people are looking to rethink their Christmas food traditions.
According to the survey, among the nation’s favourite vegan and vegetarian dishes are nut roasts, vegan foie gras and mushroom wellington.
Alongside a survey of Brits’ acceptance of animal-free festive food, the research also consulted 2022 search engine statistics to gauge general interest in the topic.
Some 266,000 people searched for ‘Vegetarian Christmas Food’ in the period examined by researchers. Additionally, a further 182,660 people searched for ‘Vegan Christmas Dinner’.
These search statistics suggest that even if they aren’t ready to completely switch from meat this Christmas, an increasing number are interested in exploring the alternatives out there.
The survey explains: “Findings such as these, combined with the predicted increase in meat-free eaters throughout 2022 suggest that even more Brits will be tucking in to a vegan or vegetarian dinner this Christmas.”
Christmas food offerings for vegetarians and vegans have been growing for some time now, and last year saw both large and small food businesses alike cater to the animal-free market.
These shifting appetites have not gone unnoticed by retailers, with many now offering even more extensive plant-based Christmas food ranges than last year.
Asda, for example, has launched a 97-product-strong vegan range for this year, which includes a plant-based ‘turkey’ crown made of soya protein and a number of vegan-friendly desserts.
Meanwhile at Tesco, the vegan Christmas range offers a mixture of dishes including No-Beef Wellington and No-Prawn Tempuras. And according to Aldi, its own vegan Christmas range is its most affordable yet, and includes dairy-free cheeses.
